Mary Briseno

Notes:

Mary was born on January 8, 1942 in Grand Island, Nebraska to Rosalio and Maria Briseno, the 12th of 13 children. Mary was raised in a devout Catholic family; attended Catholic grade school and was a member of St. Mary's Cathedral parish in Grand Island. She enjoyed being part of a large family and was close to her siblings. She received her teaching degree from the College of St. Mary in Omaha, Nebraska. Upon graduating she became a grade school teacher and taught in Del Rio, Texas before returning to Omaha to continue teaching.

A few years after returning to Omaha she met the love of her life, Lonnie, at a party for young Catholic Adults. They got engaged 6 months later and were married on August 9, 1969, at St. John's Catholic Church on Creighton's campus. Mary became a full-time homemaker with the birth of their daughters, Shawn, Joy, and Alicia. They moved around for several years before settling in Omaha in 1976 and became members of St. Gerald's Parish.

Motherhood, Catholicism, and the sanctity of marriage remained the central focus of her life. Mary and Lonnie became a Marriage Encounter presenting couple and gave hundreds of weekend retreats over a span of thirty-seven years. Mary taught her daughters to be good Christians through her example of serving the church and community. She also taught them how to cook, sew and give presentations. The family enjoyed camping and traveling throughout the United States, visiting many national parks and monuments, and also took frequent trips to visit Mary's family in Grand Island.

Mary returned to school to earn a Master of Science degree in Counseling from Creighton University (1990), and reentered the workforce full-time to serve as a licensed mental health and drug and alcohol counselor. Mary worked for Catholic Charities, Operation Bridge, and eventually, Lutheran Family Services. She became an advocate for the Spanish speaking who required her bilingual counseling services, with some clients driving 60 miles to see her. Mary served as a lector and Eucharistic minister for many years and helped to begin a bible study. She also supported Lonnie in his endeavor to become a Deacon of the Catholic Church, a sacrament they were called to as a couple in 1989. In 2012, Lonnie and Mary opened a private counseling practice that they owned for 12 years. She retired from counseling in 2020.

Mary and Lonnie enjoyed celebrating their marriage and had several memorable anniversary parties. She cherished spending time with her family and taking trips with Lonnie to visit friends, their daughter in Portland, or to vacation in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Her favorite pastime was shopping, but she loved watching the College World Series, television crime dramas, and the news; visiting with friends at book club, prayer club or Bunco; she enjoyed puzzles and she played a cutthroat game of UNO and Sequence.

Her ultimate goal was to live a life that would earn her admission into Heaven. Mary passed peacefully on Palm Sunday, April 2, 2023. She is survived by her loving husband of 53 years, Lonnie Dinneen, her three daughters and their husbands, and nine grandchildren. Shawn (Mike)
Reynolds (Jenna, Katie, Lainey, and Henry), Joy (Chris) Trimble (Brayden and Kylie), and Alicia (Jason) Julian (Ella, Olivia, and Cora).

Rest in Peace Mary! God Bless You! We love you!

(Bethany Funeral Home, Courtesy of Dennis Belohlavy)

Mary married Living [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]